Car break-ins spike in Arlington Heights

Police urge motorists to lock cars, hide valuables

September saw a spike in thefts and car burglaries, the most common crime in Arlington Heights.

A total of 34 car burglaries were reported in September 2012, up from 29 in the same month in 2011. So far in 2012, there have been 164 such incidents reported.

For police, the problem remains that this is the No. 1 crime in the village and the chances of solving them are very low.

Police have made 67 arrests for the crime since January 2010, although Police Chief Gerald Mourning said an arrest typically accounts for multiple car burglaries. The ability to solve these crimes is severely limited unless the offender pawns stolen items nearby or is caught red-handed.

"We need people to increase their own awareness, to not help themselves become victims," Mourning said.

The crimes are most prevalent overnight with unlocked car doors near homes, said Capt. Nicholas Pecora. Car burglaries committed during the day are typically in busy parking areas where people work or shop. Peak times of year vary, and the single largest concentration of the crimes is located in the downtown area.

The police chief said this is a top crime in many suburban communities regionally and nationwide and attributes that to "plain carelessness" with personal property and a lack of awareness for the surroundings.

He also said the trend started about a decade ago, when GPS devices became affordable and common, and cell phones became minicomputers.

"Never have we had so many valuables to leave in vehicles," Mourning said.

Since 2009, the village has begun to more aggressively address the problem by issuing "crime opportunity notices."

The white notices look like a ticket, but instead of a citation, it serves as a warning from a police officer who has spotted potential for a crime. The messages are clear: leaving a purse, computer or cash in plain sight, or unlocked windows, could invite prowlers to steal without much effort.

In 2011, a total of 7,050 of these notices were issued in Arlington Heights and a total of 328 car burglary incidents were reported. Of the notices, 5,807 were written for cars in parking lots, and 5,138 were written for a spotted GPS device.

Officer Robert Hess patrols the downtown area and said the most outlandish incident he's written a notice for was a minivan with a door left open and unlocked on a Friday night in downtown.

"Anybody could have walked right into the thing," Hess said.

He advises that anyone with something valuable in a car should conceal it. Even throwing a towel or jacket over a cell phone or wallet can deter a burglar. Offenders are often emboldened to return to the same spots where they've previously been successful, he said.

Pecora said many residents appreciate the warning, and only three people have complained about receiving a notice.